The Rain Came Down (And Up)
Hallam 4 v Thackley 2
Northern Counties East Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 16 August 2022
The torrential rain started as soon as we left Carrier Bag Firm Towers. By the time we were walking up (and it's Sheffield, so up means up, not along) Ivy Park Road, we were already in Double Whammy territory. The rain was certainly coming down, in the accepted manner. But rainwater was also coming up - from the inundated drains. And the roads were flowing like rivers.
We weren't going to fuck about, so we got a seat under cover as soon as we got in Sandygate. A perfect vantage point for the rain. Conditions were interesting & I dare say challenging. The ground must have been dry and hard. And basically, the rain wouldn't sink in, it just stayed on the surface. And, none of it turned into mud. And despite the slope (them hills again) the surface water seemed as bad at the (top) Shed End as at the (bottom) cricket nets end.
Of course, from the seats, all you can really tell is it's still raining. As the game kicked off, a Thackleyite kicked up a spray of water in front of the dugouts. Oh, hello, didn't realise it was that bad underfoot.
After about ten minutes another Thackley player was wringing his shirt out while it was still on.
My impression was that Thackley were the better side early on. Playing, and successfully playing, a passing game with lots of movement. Sure enough, they quickly went two nil up with goals from Greaves on 14 and 16.
Maybe the conditions claimed their first victim almost immediately. Thackley's Waddington (who I think had assists for both goals) went down after playing/moving the ball with no one particularly near him and no contact. He was helped off and subbed.
I'll be honest, while not expecting Hallam to be overrun, I didn't really see much of a way back. Shows what I know. Goals on 24 & 37 saw them level. And there was a lot of encouragement for them from the 218 crowd as they walked off at the end of the first half, and back on. Incidentally that crowd 900 down on the crowd v Bury AFC. That torrential rain will have had a big impact.
As the second half got moving, the rain did ease slightly. Still banging it down, but the pitch, not completely inundated, did improve. Hallam hit the bar, with the players convinced it had bounced in. But, they did go ahead on 56. It was chances at both ends stuff for much of the rest of the game. As the 90 ended, I felt Hallam had held on. But, they actually added another to bring it all home.
I ordered pints of Bradfield Blonde in the clubhouse. Even in the plastic glasses, they looked ridiculously opaque. I had a swig of one - gone. I was offered the option of waiting for the next cask to be put on & pulled through. But, I decided to go with;
Sharp's Brewery, Atlantic Pale Ale on Keg at 4.2%
As a football club, standard keg pale that's OK. Nothing to worry about.
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